Signaling device for automobiles.



.1. I E. l. DOWNING.

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SIGNALING DEVICE FUR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1Z. ISH. 1,242,896. Patented oct. 9,1m.

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!\IIIIIIIIIwIIIIM\ WH name/o www/M T. 1. & E. J. DowNlNG. I D. DOWNNG, ADMINISTRATRIX 0F T. I, DOWNING. DEC'D.

STGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTUMOBILES.

APPLKCATION FILED APR.12.II9I5.

Patented om.. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 means, certain in operation,

vehicle simultaneously. To. this end, wecluding push rods 21a'butting THOMAS J'. DOWNING' EUGENE J.

DOWNING, ADMINISTBATBIX 0F SA sreNALnre avion Speoiloationl of vLettera Patent.

PATENT OFFICE.

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Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Application led April 12, 1915. Serial No.` 20,765.

To all whom t may concern: y

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. DOWN- ING and EUGENE J. DowNINo, citizens of the United States, and residents of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New, York, havinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relats to signaling devices for `autmnobiles, nd partlcularly devices of t fs character for clearly indicating the intended direction of movement on the part ofthe driver.

One object of the present invention is to provide a signaling device having simple which will indicate both at the front and rear of the vehicle simultaneously.

Another object is to provide a' signal which will be plainly visible both in naylight and at night.

A further object is to provide a signal which Will be striking in c aracter.

The various further objects and advantages will more fully appear from the detailed description and the features of novelty will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating diagrammatically an automobile with one form of our, invention applied thereto.

Fi .2 is a front elevation of the automobile 1 lustrating the general arrangement of the signal at the front of the automobile.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view correspond.- in toFig.1. A 'y f 'g'. 4 is an elevationaldetail view partly in section illustrating the signaling devices on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along line 5 5, and Fig. 6 is a section taken along line of Fig. 4.

Fig. I is a detail view corresmondinto Fi 4, illustrating the signalas actuate to in icating position.

Oursiinvention 'contemplates generally to provide a striking signal which isdistinctly visible both in the daytime and at night displayed both at the front and rear ot the with a lamp'lg which..

provide an index which is normally concealed, but which is moved into view 'by the driver at any time when he desires `to signal. At night, when this movable signal would not be readily visible, means are provided in the same device for securing an illuminated signal. i

Referring in detail to the drawings, the signals proper 10 and 11 are mounted in casings at t e front and the rear of the vehicle and are adapted to be operated simultaneously to indicate whether the vehicle is to turn tothe ri ht or to the left. Thus, if the ydriver inten s to go to the right, both of the signals 10 are projected in the front and at the rear, while if he intends togo to the left, the signals 11 are projected. The signals consist lpreferably of plates mounted incasings 12 and normally hidden from view .thereb v; When the chauffeur intends to go to the left, for instance, and operates the sig.- nal 11, the signal plate is projected into the position indicated in Fig. ,7, .in which the upper portion of the plate, having the figure of a hand 13 pointing to the left, painted,

enameled or otherwise impressed thereon. is

brought into view. 'When the driver has completed his turn to the left and releases the operating mechanism, the springs 14 withdraw the plate into the casing, thus concealing the signal from view.

To make the signal visible at night as well as in the daytime, thecasing is provided. A when illuminated, -throws its light 'through a glass 16. which has painted, enameled or otherwise impressed thereon, a figure of a hand 17 sighilar tothe hand 13 of the plate 11 and p'lointingf in the same direction. Normally` t e plate 11 when vretracted in the casing has a portion 18 which conceals the glass 16 from view. vHowever, when the plate is raised to display the signal 13. the portion 18 slides past the glass 16 and exposes the same through an opening 19 in the plate formed for that purpose. A registering opening 20 is. of course, formed in the casing vand thus when the signal slide is raisedfnnd the lamp is lighted. the index hand 17 v,will appear illuminated and will be perfectly visible at night when the index hand 13 is not visible.

The plates arel operated by mechanism inand engaging los elongated projections 22 extending downward from the plates l0 and l1 into guide casings 23.

Any suitable form of operating mechanism may be used for actuating the signal. Vile have illustrated a flexible cord mechanism, shown in Fig. 1, the operating device for which is dis osed on the steering post 24. easily accessible to the driver. Thus, a lever 27 mounted on the steering post below the steering wheel may actuate a flexible cord guided through a guide tube 31 and passing over a sheave 32 xed to a shaft 33. The latter may extend the length of the vehicle and may be journaled in suitable brackets 34 and. Then the driver desires to operate'the signal so as to indicate movement to the ri ht or left, he pushes the lever 27 to the right or to the left and so actuates the corresponding signal.

lIn the daytime, as previously explained, the signal hand 13, which appears above the casing 12, will be very eectiveto indicate the direction of the vehicle, but at nigh t, it will be necessary to. use the illuminated signal glass 16. We provide, therefore, means whereby the lamp 15 is turned on whenever the signals are operated and provide further means whereby this lighting up will occur only at the will of the opcrater. Thus, a maximum economy of currentfiaeiiectcd, inasmuch as the lamp lights upniy. .when the signal is displayed and .may be made to light up only at night and' notin the daytime. For this purpose, a

vided in any suitable place, pre erably at the bottom of the vehlcle at each side of the shaft Extending :from the shaft between the switches is an arm 5l which engages. one or the other of the switches to close an electric circuit to li ht up 1am s corresponding to the actuate signal. n the daytime, when the lights are not used, a plug 52 removed from a suitable oint in the wiring to break theelectrical circuit of all the lamps.

lt will be seen from the above description that we have provided a signal for automobiles which is very striking and effective both in the daytime and at night and is displayed at the front and rear of the machine simultaneously. Although an electric light is used for the night signal, electric current. is not used except when the signal is actually displayed, and in. the daytime, it. is dispensed with entirely, thus securing a maximum economy in operating.

Various modifications may b'e're'srted to within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the accompanying claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A signal device .for eutomobilespomprising a casing, having an aperture, a movable signal plate mounted in the casing, a transparent signal plate mounted in re 'stry with the aperture, the latter plate eing uncovered `when the movable signal plate is operated, a projection on the movable signal plate at the lower edge thereof, a rod mounted in line with said projection adapted to make abutting contact therewith, a horizontal. arm pivotal] mounted and adapted to carry said a utting rod, and means 4for operating said arm.

2. A. 'signal device for automobiles comprising a casing, a movable signal plate mounted therein, a projection on said plate ai the lower edge thereof, a rod mounted in line with said projection adapted to make abutting contact therewith, a horizontal arm j :iivotally mounted and disposed beneath the casing, said arm adapted to carry said abut-t ting rod, operatin means whereby said arm may be rotate upward to cause abutting contact between the abutting rod and projection to project the si al plate from the casing, and means a apted to automatically withdraw said signal platel into the casing, when said operating means is released.

3. A signal device for automobiles comprising an oscillating arm, a pair of casings mounted thereon, a movable signal plate mounted in each of said casin a projection on each of the signal p ates at the lower edge thereof, a link member at each j end of the oscillatory arm in abutment with pair of switches 49 and 50 (Fig. l are prosaid projection and adapted to make abutting Contact therewith, and means for operating the oscillatory arm.

et. A signaling device for automobiles comprising a pall' of casings, each of said casings having an aperture a movable signal plate mounted in each ci said casings, a transparent signal plate mounted in re stry with each aperture, the latter plate e ing uncovered when the movable signal plate is operated means for illuminating said transparent signal plate when the movable plate is operated, an oscillating arm, a link member at each e'nd of the osci l arm mounted. in operative position relative to the plate and adapted to make abutting engagement therewith, means for operating ating said oscillating arm adapted to actuate' either of said movable signal plates, the other remainin 'stationary 1n lts case, and

a springrattac ed to the casing and'. theV movable signal plateada ted to retract the actuated slgnal plate w en the operating means are released; i l i `5. A signal ldevice for automobiles comprising indicatin members mounted at the front and rear o the vehicle and means for operating the indicating members `comprising a shaft running' the len h of the vehicle, means for rotating said shaft, arms mounted onthe shaft and connected with the indicating members, means for illuminating said mdicating devices, and a projection on the shafft to closel an electric circuit for said illuminating means when the shaft is rotated to operate the indicating member.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, thi! 23d dey of March, A. D. 1915.

THOMAS J. DOWNING. EUGENE J. DOWNING.

Witnesses:

` WM. I. COHEN,

' MINNIE S. MILLER. 

